First temperature measurement in neurons by ODMR techniques
G.Petrini, G.Tomagra, E.Bernardi, E,. Moreva, I.P.Degiovanni, P.Traina, P.Olivero, V.Carabelli, M.Genovese
In this talk I will present our results that demonstrate for the first time the possibility of making localized temperature measurement with precision under 0.1 K in neurons by exploiting ODMR techniques.
After a general introduction to ODMR techniques based on NV colour centers in diamond, I will present this breakthrough result that will have huge impact to biology and medicine.
In little more detail, we probe temperature variations at single-cell scale using color centers in nanodiamonds. We activate the firing of a neuronal network using a drug that stops the inhibitory mechanism. In these conditions, we detect a significant local temperature increase.
We associate the observed temperature increase to the firing state of the network, since no significant increase is observed in cases when the drug is not injected. We discuss the possible physiological mechanisms that causes the heat production leading to the observed temperature increase. In perspective, this phenomenon could be extremely promising as a mean of indirect detection of the action potential in future experiments in which the nanodiamonds are functionalized in order to target specific ions channels.
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